Last week, the NDP marching band, led by directors Joe Martin and Teri Rae Martin, kicked off a new Band Camp tradition of helping in the local community. Organized by juniors Marshall Weimer and Madeline Allard, the band had five days to collect canned foods needed by the Baldwin Center in Pontiac.
"Everyone was immediately willing to help and got into the spirit of giving," said Allard.
“Each instrument section found out where the lowest canned food prices were, pooled their funds and sent a shopper to get the most possible cans," said Weimer.
Elizabeth Longley, the executive director of the Baldwin Center, said their food pantry was severely depleted and needed to be stocked before cold weather sets in. She said that the 773 cans of food collected by the Notre Dame band will go a long way to replenish their stock of desperately needed sustenance.
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About the Baldwin Center
The Baldwin Center’s mission is to feed, clothe, educate and empower the men, women and children of the Pontiac community. We are a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. The Center has been serving neighbors since 1981 and currently offers more than 25 support programs that meet basic needs, offer assistance in a crisis, provide education and enrichment opportunities for adults and children, and serve as a safety net. The Center envisions people of all ages and cultures sharing the belief that they can create and shape how they live and grow within the community.
The Baldwin Center was created as an outreach program of the Baldwin Avenue United Methodist Church in response to increasing poverty in the neighborhood. The congregation opened the Center’s doors to provide food and recreation to children in June 1981. The Family Soup Kitchen, tutoring services and a shelter soon followed and the programs offered at the church grew from there.
In 2006, the congregation moved to Grace and Peace Community Church and the Baldwin Center continued offering human service programs as an independent 501(c)3. All of our programs are located on the former church’s property at 212 Baldwin Avenue in Pontiac, except for the Clothes Closet, which is located one block south at 200 Baldwin Avenue.
About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.